HVAC system analysis tool

• US 7,451,606 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Harrod, Gregory Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai; William E
• Application Number:
  US11/326,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 62/77, 62125-127, 700/1, 702/183, 702/185
• US Class Current: 62/77
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries

Abstract

A tool for the analysis of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, methods for performing various analyses of an HVAC system with the tool, and a computer executable program used by the tool to perform the analyses are disclosed. The tool includes a processing machine, a database, a memory device having a software program executable by the processing machine, and a display device. The database stores information on each of a plurality of HVAC components and the software program is configured to identify and access information pertaining to at least one HVAC unit in an HVAC system from the database and is configured to generate a wiring diagram using the accessed information from the database that is displayed to the display device.

Claims

1. A method for the dynamic analysis of an HVAC system comprising:

automatically receiving information identifying components in an HVAC system;

accessing information pertaining to the identified components of the HVAC system from a database of HVAC component information;

calculating expected system behavior for at least one operational state of the HVAC system using information accessed from the database;

communicating with the HVAC system to determine an actual behavior of the HVAC system;

comparing the calculated expected system behavior with the received actual system behavior;

automatically generating a wiring diagram for the identified components of the HVAC system using the information accessed from the database of HVAC component information and the comparison of the calculated system behavior with the actual system behavior; and

displaying the generated wiring diagram in the form of a dynamic analysis of the HVAC system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the generated wiring diagram includes displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior includes displaying information textually.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior includes displaying information symbolically.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying information pertaining to HVAC system behavior includes displaying system behavior selected from the group consisting of the calculated expected system behavior, the received actual system behavior, and the comparison between the expected system behavior and the actual system behavior, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating with the HVAC system includes receiving communications from a thermostat communications port.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing information pertaining to the identified components occurs at a location remote from the HVAC system being dynamically analyzed.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording the communications with the HVAC system in a memory device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the generated wiring diagram includes displaying as a point-to-point wiring diagram.